Material handling and load conveyance system

Abstract

A multipurpose loading and unloading and/or material handling and moving apparatus including a closed chain continuous roller grid disposed on and around a continuous elongate table, the roller grid comprising a plurality of parallel axles pivotally coupled at their ends by parallel first and second sets of independent mechanical links.

What is claimed as invention is: 
     
       1. A material handling and load conveying system, comprising:
 a continuous roller deck having a continuous exterior surface; 
 a closed chain continuous track roller grid disposed around said continuous roller deck and engaging substantially the entirety of said continuous exterior surface; and 
 a load-bearing deck disposed either above or below said closed chain continuous track roller grid for supporting a load; 
 wherein said closed chain continuous track roller grid includes a plurality of roller assemblies disposed generally parallel with one another, each of said roller assemblies pivotally connected to adjacent roller assemblies through mechanical links; and 
 wherein each of said roller assemblies includes an outer roller and an inner roller, said inner roller having an outer diameter smaller than that of the inner diameter of said outer roller, thus creating a space or air gap between said inner and outer roller. 
 
     
     
       2. The material handling and load conveying system of  claim 1 , wherein each of said inner rollers is coaxially disposed around an axle. 
     
     
       3. The material handling and load conveying system of  claim 2 , further including an inner link and an outer link pivotally connected to each end of each of said axles. 
     
     
       4. The material handling and load conveying system of  claim 3 , wherein each pair of said inner and outer links, pivotally connected to the same axle are slightly spaced apart using a spacer. 
     
     
       5. The material handling and load conveying system of  claim 4 , wherein each of said inner and outer links are curved with a radius slightly larger than a radius of a semicircular end of said continuous roller deck. 
     
     
       6. The material handling and load conveying system of  claim 4 , wherein a difference in radius between said inner and outer links and said continuous roller deck corresponds to an increased radius as measured from a center common to said closed chain continuous track roller grid and a semicircular end of said continuous roller deck, using the longitudinal axis of said axles as a measuring point. 
     
     
       7. The material handling and load conveying system of  claim 2  wherein each of said axles have threaded ends on each of which a nut is disposed, and wherein said inner and outer links are spaced apart by a washer. 
     
     
       8. The material handling and load conveying system of  claim 1 , further including at least one pair of spaced-apart end panels disposed at an end of said load-bearing deck, said end panels having an end roller mounted between said end panels. 
     
     
       9. The material handling and load conveying system of  claim 8 , wherein said system is employed as a continuous track rolling table and said end rollers are spaced apart from said closed chain continuous track roller grid and slightly elevated above a line of rollers engaging said lower portion of said continuous roller deck. 
     
     
       10. The material handling and load conveying system of  claim 8 , wherein said system is employed as a continuous track stationary roller conveyor and said end rollers are disposed apart from and slightly below the line of rollers on said upper portion of said continuous roller deck.